Washing-machine drive assembly



April 1 1924.

C. W. FRANCIS WASHING MACHINE DRIVE, ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 18 1922 Patented Apr; l, 'lhli.

i v p .1 an i": i i1. T'i ke il 32% ii SSIGNQFJ, BY BEESNE ASSIGN- Z-ATI'GN G33 VASHENG-MACHKNE DRIVE ASSEMBLY.

Application filed February 18, 1922. Serial No. 537,476.

To all to)? am it may co /cm Be it known that L CHARLES /V. Francis. a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful lniprovements in a YVashing-Machine Drive Assembly; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip- IW tion of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to driving mechanism for a washing machine, and it is an object of this invention to provide a novel structure that can be quickly and easily assembled.

In the construction of washing machines in which a wringer is connected to the driving mechanism, it is highly desirable that all operating parts he completely enclosed in casings, and when these casings are attached together it is practically impossible 6 to mount the operating shafts therein and connect the same to the transmission gears. My invention is designed to remedy this difficulty.

This invention comprises the novel mechanism and combinations hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the dili'erent views:

Figure l is an elevational view partly in section of a washing machine. Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a lower transmission housing from which a short stub shaft 2 projects which is adapted to be geared to a motor. A collaror sleeve 3 is secured upon the up per end of shaft 2 to rotate therewith, said sleeve projecting above the shaft to provide a polygonal socket for receiving the main driving shaft l of the washing machine.

A vertical cylindrical housing 5 is adapted to be secured to the housing 1; the upper end of said housing being provided with a bearing in which the hub of a gear 6 is rotatably mounted. The gear 6 is provided with a polygonal aperture to receive the shaft i and meshes with a gem? '7 that operates the washing machine, and if desirable the said gear maybe provided with the oil guard 8.

The housing 5 is provided with an annular flange 9 concentric with the upper bear ing and. having an annular vertical shoulder 10 for centering an upper cylindrical hous- 11 adapted to be secured upon the flange 9 by bolts or the like. The housing 11 is provided with a cylindrical lateral opening for receiving the said gear 7 which is mounted upon the driving shaft of the washing cylinder. The housing 11 extends to a suitable height above the washing machine for supporting the wringer supporting bracket 12 which is provided with a de* pending hub 13 rotatably mounted in the upper end of the housing 11. A short stub shaft 1% which is part of the wringer driving mechanism housed within the bracket 12 which is in the form of a hollow transmis sion housing, depends centrally of the hub 13 and has secured upon its end a collar or sleeve 15 which depends below the end of the said stub shaft 14 in the form of a poly onal socket to receive the upper end of the shaft 4.

The foregoing described structure can be variously assembled, as is obvious. One way consists in mounting the gear 6 in the upper end of the housing 5, inserting the main driving shaft 4 through the gear '6 so that it extends below the housing 5. The housing 5 may then be placed in a vertical position so that the lower end of the shaft 4 may be readily inserted in the polygonal socket of the sleeve 8; the housing 5 may then be dropped into its position on the casing l, the shaft l sliding through the gear 6 for this purpose. The housing 5 may then be bolted or secured to the easing 1.. ll desirable, however, the housing 5 may be first secured to the casing l, the gear 6 mounted therein in its bearings and the shaft l thereafter inserted through the gear 6 and slid downwardly so that the lower end will enter the polygonal socket of the sleeve 3. The housing 11 may then be secured to the housing 5 by placing it thereupon and properly seating the lower end upon the flange 9 and bolting it thereto (ill or securing it in any appropriate way. The hollow wringer bracket 12 which is a separate housing, may then be mounted in the upper'end of the housing 11, and assuming that the shaft 14 has been mounted therein, with the socketed sleeve 15 thereon the lower end of said sleeve will si multaneously engage over the upper end ol the shaft 4 and effect a riving connection between the shafts 4 and 14.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the assembling of the housing 1, 4, 11 and 12 may he readily and quickly eifected and the dil'lercnt transmission shat-ts thereof simultaneously connected as the parts are brought together.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

in testimony whereol l have hereunto suh 9 h-ed my name in the presence of two subbing witnesses. 7

CHARLES YV. FRANCIS.

Witnesses R. ALBERT lf-lnnrrrwooo, BETTY H. llAMILTON. 

